Report: Alex Rodriguez was a no-show for Friday’s scheduled rehab game

On Friday, Alex Rodriguez met with Major League Baseball officials investigating his ties to performance-enhancing drugs and the Biogenesis clinic while on his rehab assignment in Tampa. Obviously that had to be a stressful experience for the 37-year-old third baseman, but I don't think the New York Yankees are going to buy a little stress as a good excuse to not show up for work.

In fact, I know they won't buy it. But apparently A-Rod felt like he needed a night off to clear his mind because Joel Sherman of the New York Post is reporting that Rodriguez was a complete no-show to his scheduled rehab appearance on Friday night.

However, sources told The Post that Rodriguez never showed up for what was going to be his seventh rehab game, and organization officials were scrambling to find him. Eventually, sources said, Rodriguez informed the Yankees he was not going to play last night, which infuriated team officials.

As it turned out, the game was postponed by rain.

But sources say Rodriguez had enough time to get from the nearby location where he was interrogated to the park before any official word had come down about whether the game would be played or not. He was not excused by organization officials from attending the game and, in fact, the Yankees had been told by MLB the interview would be done in a timeframe to allow Rodriguez to continue his rehab games, and the meeting ended about two hours before the scheduled first pitch.

Reached by phone, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman refused to comment on whether Rodriguez was absent without permission.

Oh, A-Rod, can you not avoid the unnecessary drama for one week?

No, seriously, why does this stuff keep happening?

Like I said, I do understand the entire day was undoubtedly very stressful for him. It's possible a big part of his baseball future will be determined based on the answers and information he was willing to give those investigators. But even if your head isn't clear enough to perform on the field, you kind of have an obligation to at least be at the ballpark. I'm sure — well, pretty sure anyway — that Brian Cashman and the Yankees brass would have been accommodating had he been up front in requesting a break, but his actions here, if one-hundred percent true, just drive in the wedge even further.